CLEVELAND, Ohio – Case Western Reserve University Athletics along with the Case Association of Student-Athletes (CASA) presented its annual department awards on Monday, April 30 at the 2012 All-Sports Banquet at the Veale Center.
Dorothy L. Hoza Award - Given to the female freshman, sophomore, or junior student-athlete, who has made a strong contribution to the Women's Intercollegiate Sports Program, maintained a high level of academic achievement, shown leadership on the team and contributed service to the Department and University.
Kendra Simmons (Medina, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit)
Women's Soccer – Junior - Midfielder
Kendra Simmons helped lead the women's soccer team to the best season in program history with a school-record 13 wins (13-4-3 overall) and the squad's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. She was named a third-team All-American by National Soccer Coaches Association of America as well as Collegiate Scholar All-American. A University Athletic Association All-Academic performer as a medical anthropology major, Simmons was also tabbed first-team All-Great Lakes Region, first-team All-UAA, first-team All-Ohio and Academic All-Ohio. Simmons serves as secretary for the CASA and as the chair for the Student-Athlete Formal committee.
Emily R. Andrews Award - The award is given to the outstanding senior who has made a strong contribution to the Women's Intercollegiate Sports Program, maintained a high level of academic achievement, shown leadership in team, and contributed service to the department and University.
Anna Kennedy (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township)
Women's Soccer – Senior - Goalkeeper
Anna Kennedy captained the women's soccer team to the best season in program history with a school-record 13 wins (13-4-3 overall) and the squad's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. She earned first-team All-UAA honors to conclude her career as a three-time All-Association pick, leading the conference in mostly all major goal-keeping statistical categories. A solid academic performer as a civil engineering major, Kennedy serves as President of CASA and was CWRU's student representative chosen to speak at the UAA 25th Anniversary banquet.
Arthur P. Leary Award - The award is given to the outstanding freshman, sophomore, or junior who has demonstrated leadership on the team, maintained good academic standing in the University, demonstrated good sportsmanship, and made a contribution to the department and University.
Matt Keen (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge)
Baseball – Junior – Shortstop
Matt Keen was selected team captain as a junior for the Spartan baseball team and has started all 134 games over the past three seasons. He ranked second in the nation in runs scored last season on his way to earning All-UAA honors for the second-consecutive year. Keen's performance has helped lead the team to the top two wins totals in program history (33 in 2011 and 27 in 2012) as well as the team's first NCAA Tournament berth last spring. A two-time UAA All-Academic pick, Keen also earned Capital One Academic All-District status as a sophomore and is a strong candidate for the award once again in 2012. Off the field, he is a member of Sigma Chi fraternity, serving as Vice President of Finance for Inter-Fraternity Congress, and is a student-worker in the department for facilities and operations.
Philip K. "Nip" Heim Award - Presented annually to the senior male student-athlete who has made the most outstanding contribution to Case Western Reserve University through the athletics program. The selection is based on if he demonstrated leadership in the team, maintained good academic standing in the University, demonstrated good sportsmanship, participated in at least two years in the Case athletics program, and demonstrated loyalty to team and University.
Niro Wimalasena (Mason, Ohio/Mason)
Men's Soccer – Senior - Defender
Niro Wimalasena will graduate with one of the best athletic and academic combined resumes in men's soccer history. In 2011, he was a second-team NSCAA All-American and a Collegiate Scholar All-American in addition to earning Capital One Academic All-America ® honors. The backbone of the Spartan defense, he helped lead the team to the second UAA Championship and NCAA Tournament berth in program history. A chemical engineering major with a 3.72 grade point average, Wimalasena earned All-UAA and Academic All-UAA in three-straight seasons. Off the field, he served on the CASA executive board for public relations and as Vice President of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Amongst his many other activities, he was on the CWRU Relay for Life planning committee and the Delta Tau Delta Executive Board.
Bill Sudeck Outstanding Student-Athlete Award - This award honors the individual who best exemplifies the attributes of the Case Western Reserve University student-athlete in the spirit of legendary coach, mentor and friend William "Bill" Sudeck. Coach Sudeck spent more than half his life - 46 years - shaping the young minds of cross country, basketball, and track and field athletes. The award is given to the student-athlete that has demonstrated and achieved significant athletic accomplishments, academic achievements, engagement in campus activities, and has shown leadership in athletics and in the classroom.
Tricia McCutchan (Hamilton, Ohio/Stephen T. Badin)
Volleyball – Senior – Middle Hitter
Tricia McCutchan will graduate from the Spartan Volleyball program as its most accomplished student-athlete. A school record-holder in kills, blocks, points and hitting percentage, McCutchan was a four-time All-UAA selection with a first-team nod in 2011 and was a two-time All-Great Lakes Region pick by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. A biomedical engineering major with a perfect 4.0 grade point average, she earned Capital One Academic All-America® honors in all three seasons she was eligible for the award with first-team status in 2010 and 2011. Her performance both on the court and in the classroom also earned her a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. In addition, she served as Undergraduate Chair for the CWRU Relay for Life and was a multiple-time Case School of Engineering Outstanding Student.
Bill Sudeck Rookie of the Year
Will Drougas (Roanoke, Va./Salem)
Men's Tennis – Freshman
Will Drougas has been the No. 1 player for the No. 21 nationally-ranked Spartan men's tennis team. A UAA Player of the Week, Drougas leads the team with 20 singles wins (20-13 overall) playing strictly in the top spot. He scored the winning point to lead the Spartans to an upset of No. 13 Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) this past weekend, guaranteeing the team of a school record-tying UAA finish (third). Regionally-ranked as a singles player, Drougas is also a candidate for several regional and national awards within the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Academically, he is a solid performer as an economics major.
Nancy Gray Rookie of the Year
Rebecca Taylor (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe)
Softball – Freshman – Pitcher/First Baseman
Rebecca Taylor has been the ace of the Spartan pitching staff as the team has completed a remarkable turnaround with a 26-15 overall record – the second-highest win total in program history. Taylor has set school records for wins and strikeouts in a season and is a three-time UAA Pitcher of the Week. She also earned first-team All-UAA honors, leading the conference in several major statistical categories.
Glenn and Peggy Nicholls Female Athlete of the Year
Erin Hollinger (Chardon, Ohio/Chardon)
Women's Basketball - Forward/Track & Field – Senior
Erin Hollinger is a repeat selection as the department's top female athlete. She will graduate as one of the most accomplished student-athletes in school history as a two-sport standout. In basketball, she was a four-time All-UAA selection with three first-team nods and was named a finalist for the Jostens Trophy (DIII Player of the Year) in each of the past two seasons. She ranked second in program history with 1,421 points and was a two-time D3Hoops.com All-Great Lakes Region honoree. In track & field, Hollinger is a three-time All-American in the high jump with her career-best national finish (third) this past winter during the NCAA Indoor Championship. Also a multiple-time UAA Champion in several events, she is on track to qualify for the national meet once again in hopes of earning her fourth piece of All-American hardware. Academically, Hollinger boasts an outstanding 3.94 grade point average as a macromolecular science & engineering major and is the only four-time Capital One Academic All-American® in school history with three selections for basketball and one in track & field. She is also a member of Sigma Psi sorority and Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society.
Dr. David Hutter Male Athlete of the Year
Vinny Bell (Parma Heights, Ohio/Valley Forge)
Men's Soccer – Senior - Forward
Vinny Bell will graduate as the most accomplished player in men's soccer program history. CWRU Soccer's only two-time All-American, he was named a second-team honoree by the NSCAA in 2011 in addition to being tabbed a Collegiate Scholar All-American as an accounting major. D3Soccer.com also pinned Bell as an All-American. The two-time UAA Most Valuable Player holds the CWRU career and single-season records for goals and points, and he is a three-time first-team All-UAA selection. This past season, he was one of the nation's top offensive players as the Spartan won the second UAA Championship in program history with the team's second NCAA Tournament berth.
Patricia B. Kilpatrick Award – Four-year varsity participant with the highest GPA
Lucy Bollinger (Boulder, Colo./Fairview)
Women's Swimming & Diving – Senior – Mid-Distance Free
Lucy Bollinger has compiled a 4.0 grade point average as an anthropology and biochemistry double-major.
Tricia McCutchan (Hamilton, Ohio/Stephen T. Badin)
Volleyball – Senior – Middle Hitter
Tricia McCutchan has compiled a 4.0 grade point average as a biomedical engineering (pre-med) major.
Bradley Potter (Rochester, N.Y./Gates-Chili)
Baseball – Senior - Pitcher
Bradley Potter has compiled a 4.0 grade point average as a chemical engineering/materials science engineering double-major.
Ethan Teare (Burton, Ohio/Berkshire)
Men's Cross Country and Track & Field - Distance
Ethan Teare has compiled a 4.0 grade point average as a mathematics major.
